The Sadducees and religious leaders now confront Peter and John for their presentation. Peter’s words have struck a chord with them, but not in a positive way. This text has always been a helpful example for me and Christians everywhere to be bold and remember who we are trying to please.
Are there any details of this account that surprised you? Some might be surprised that Peter and John found themselves in jail. Others may marvel at how quickly the number of believers was adding up. Perhaps it is how perplexed the religious leaders were with these two “ordinary men.”
The word that jumped off the page for me was “propaganda.” In the NLT translation that I reference, that was the word in verse 17. Other translations have a different way of speaking about the words Peter was sharing with the people. Clearly, the people were listening and becoming followers. The message was spreading, and it was not what the religious leaders wanted people to hear.
The word “propaganda” describes perfectly what the religious leaders believed. When something is propaganda, it is usually not true but intended to rile people up for a cause. Its design is to intentionally manipulate the situation. Certainly, these half-truths, at best, are meant to influence public opinion to suit the situation. In that way, Peter’s words were meant to influence people and move them to follow Jesus. The difference and why it was not propaganda at all is that everything that came out of Peter’s mouth was literally the truth, straight from God.
Don’t forget that the same people who were questioning Peter and John had questioned Jesus before his death, just a short time before. Imagine how that recollection was still fresh in their minds. They had put that man to death, hadn’t they? Now Peter was accusing these religious leaders of murdering Jesus.
It’s good to remember that although the words were coming out of Peter’s mouth, it was the Holy Spirit speaking the truth here. Have you had the experience of hearing words come out of your mouth and realizing they were the Holy Spirit speaking through you? I have on several occasions, and it’s a thrill, almost like an out-of-body experience.
I’m just as confident that the Holy Spirit speaks through me regularly, especially when I look back at nearly 2800 blog post reflections on Bible texts and nearly 30 published devotional books. My hand may have written all that, but I was never alone. The Holy Spirit will find an opportunity to speak through you, so be ready.
One of my favorite lines from Peter’s exchange with the religious leaders is this: “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges!” Recalling that verse can be especially comforting when you are being forced to do or say something you know is contrary to God’s will or design for your life. Anytime people attack the Bible or try to misinterpret it, my hackles go up. I, for one, listen to God first.
As believers, we should be as bold as Peter. We may not all be put in such a position where we need to defend Jesus like this, but we should be ready to stand courageously for our faith. The more time we spend in God’s Word, the stronger we can be. As in Ephesians 6, where Paul talks about the armor of God, we know that the sword of the Spirit is the word of God.
Let’s pray. Lord Jesus, reading about how Peter and John stood up for you and let the Holy Spirit guide them is so encouraging. With all the propaganda floating around in the world right now in the media and beyond, I appreciate standing on the truth of your Word as my faith in you shields me. Give me the discernment I need to see through the lies of this world and the courage to be your voice of truth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
